Vehicle wheel-rim.



1. H. WAGENHORST.

VEHICLE WHEEL RIMx APPLICATiON FILED FEE- IO, 1912. 1,136,985., ftented M1227, 1915.

, I 3SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A HORNE) J. H. WAGENHORST.

VEHICLE WHEEL RIM. arucmxou FILED FEB.10, 1912.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SEEN 2.

1,1,8& I

W/T/VESSfS J. H. WAGENHORST.

AVEHHZLE WHEEL RM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-10,1912.

1,13%,985; Patented Apr. 27', 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

WITNESSES transverse section. t

in sinus Pair JAMES H. WAGENHORST, OF, AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESN'E ASSIGNMENTS, OF

TWO-FIFTHS TO THE B. F. GOODRICH COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORA- TION OF NEW YORK, ON E-FIFTH TO THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY, OF

AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO; AND ONE-FIFTH TO THE UNITED STATES TIRE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N.Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

VEHICLE WHEEL-RIM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMns,H. WAGEN- nons'r, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Akron, county of Summit, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Wheel-Rims, of which the following is a specification.-

This invention relates to vehicle wheel rims designed to carry pneumatic or other resilient tires, and particularly to that class of rims known as demountable, in which the tire-carrying rim carrying the resilient tire is removably secured upon the wheel, so that the rim and tire may be removed and replaced as a unit.

My present invention comprises improved and simplified means for securing the tirecarrying riin upon the wheel, the securing means being preferably so constructed as to lock the tire-carrying rim against circumferential creeping as well as to preven the lateral displacement of the rim. I

In the vaccompanying drawing" form a part of this specification, Fi ure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a vehicle wheel having a rim embodying one form of my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line II II of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the locking wedge turned toinoperative position;,Fig. 4 is a side elevation of. the parts shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a portion of the rim base showing one of the receses in the flange thereof formed for the reception of one of the looking Wedges; Fig. 6 is a transverse section' through a wheel telly, felly band and rim embodying another modification of my in- "vention, one of the locking wedges for securing the rim upon'the felly band being shown in elevation; Fig. 7 is a plan view,

and Fig. 8 is an elevation looking from the inside of the locking wedge shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is a view of the under-side of the rim base show in Fig. 6, showing one of the seats for the locking wedges; Fig. 10 is a rough the felly, telly hand and rim showing another modification otmy invention, one of the locking devices being shown in side elevation; Fig. 11 is a view of the under-side of the tire-carrying improvements in which rive position.

' is a section on lineXV-XY-of Fig. 1%, the

endless tire-retainin' fian e bein omitted C b Fig. 16 is a plan view of a portion of the rimbase showing one of the notches for the reception of one of the wedges or looking devices; Fig. 17 1s a plan v ew oi one of the wedges or looking devices,{'a;portion of the hook being broken away Fig.'- '18 is a transverse section through lei-wheel felly, ielly Patented Apr. 27, 191%.

band and tire-carrying rimlembodying an- 7 other modified form of my invention. In this figure the locking device is shown in fuitlinesin operative position, and in doti565 iines in inoperative position; Fig. 19 is ian View of the locking device shown in Fig. 18; Fi'gl20 is a side elevation of a portion of the folly and rim shown in Fig. 18, the locking device being illustrated in opera- 7 Referring to the. drawings in detail, and particularly to Figs. 1 to 5. inclusive, the

' numeral 1 designates a vellrilcle wheel having a felly 2, to which is per anently secured, byshrinking or otherwise, a felly band 3. The telly band 3 is provided at one edge with an annular seat or bearing surface a preferably somewhat beveled, and at the other edge with a raised annular seat 5 beveled in the'same direction as the seat 4.

6 is the tire-carrying rim comprising the rim base 7 which in the form of my invention. illustrated is transversely split at the point 8, and the endless tire-retaining flanges 9. The rim base 7 is provided with inwardly projecting flanges 10. and 11, the flange 10 being deeper than the flange 11 and having a bearing surface formed upon itengaging the bearing surface 4, while the face of the flange 11 is beveled to engage the beveled bearing surface 5 on the folly band. The flange 10 is cut out at intervals to form recesses 12, which are concave and 150. ,neath the edg'eof the-rim base and thus to stated in an o sw, direction to the 'bearing,surfa.ccs4and 5. v

The tire-ca gr m looked upon the Thebo ts 18 pass transversely. through the felly andscrew"through"washers 19, these washers 19 acting as nuts to secure the bolts permanently in position and also being themselves secured by the bolts against the face of the 'felly.= The threads on the ends of 'the bolts 18 and, the external threads on the nuts 17 areqf-opposite pitch, so that the rotation of tlie nuts17 acts to move the wedges,

if the'Llatter arej held against rotation, to-.

ward or fromthe? felly', al distance equal to the combined'pitch of late. threads on the boltsand on the nuts for Each revolution of the nuts. r Supposing thewedges to be moved into operativcposition, as "shown in Fig. 2, the rotationof thenuts 17 will first withdraw the wedges away from; the folly band, the wedges being prcvented from rotation wit-l the surface 4 of thjelly band. When the-points of'the wedges 13 have cleared the "edge of the felly band, the wedges will be carried around with the nuts 17 until they are in. inverted osition, as shown in Fig. 3, in

i which position they will stopped from I further rotation by means of the lugs20 pro jecting fromthe washers19'. The engagemerit of the. body portions 16 0f the wedges with the heads of the nuts 17 will then prevent further rotation of the nuts 17., so that.

- the nuts and wedges cannot be accidentally detachedffrom vthe bolts 18. The convex shape of the wedges, which causes themto fit the recessesi12, permits them to rotate behemmed-m the inoperative position shown 'iu Eig. "eywere not rounded in this manner,

striking the under-side of the rim and pro "enting their rotation. These wedges operateto. force the tire-carrying rim laterally upon the folly band, and thus cause the flange 11 to wedge upon the bearing. surface 5 at the inside 0 the wheel peripher The wedges also lift'theflange 10 away om its seatupon thefelly band at intervals, and thus cause-theportions' of the flan e between the wedges to be drawn downan to clamp the screw'iulpon the projecting ends of bolts 18.

owing tothe engagement of their surfaces 15 I have to be made veryshort in order to prevent-their corners from felly band tightl between the wedges ,l, as shown in' F 1g. 1. he rim will thus grip the felly band very firmly and but a small number of wed es needbe used; forexample, four. 'lhe'we ges fitting the concave recesses 12 in the-flange 10 also serve-positively to prevent a the creeping or circumferential movement of tbe'rim u on the felly band, and thus act as drifiiig p ates for the rim. This manner of drijing the rim is superior to the use of fired driving plates some play must be. left" 1r 7 driving plates fixed to the, rim and fell btnd in the ordinary manner, as with sue permit the rim to be moved into. or out 'of 1 finition upon the wheel, and consequently a: 30'

. slight movement will always be permitted ween the'rim and the telly band Such m vem'ent is exceedigfly objectionable,v as th rimwill be work back and forth in a circumferential direction upon thefelly band every time that the vehicle is started or stopped, and this working backand forth will inevitably result in a short time in serione wear. of the parts.- By using my wedges I I for jthe purpose'of driving the rim, how'- ever I succeed in rendering the rim absm lute'l immovable uponthe felly bandp'as the wedges may be' forced tightly into the recesses 12, which they areshape'il to fit. In

additionstofthusxsecuring immov'ability'of v Y the also elim nate the necessity of ate-.5

taching fving' plates tothe rim and telly and thus ecrease the cost of manufacturing the structure. r

In- Figs. 6, 7, 8 and 9, I- haveshown a imodification of-my invention in which the tire-carrying-rim 21 comprises a trans.

. versely split rim base 22 and the endless' i flanges 23, the rim base.b eing supported at f one side upon the raisedbearing surface 24:- of the felly band 25, the other side of the w rim base being supported wholly upon the 4 "wedges-26, of which anysuitable' number may be used, for example, usually 8 or 10' for automobile wheels of ordinary diameters. The rim base 22 has'formed in it a rib 2 7, which seats upon the bearing surfac .24 0f the felly' band, the rinr'rbeing provided near its other side with a series ofdepressed seats 28 adapted to be engaged 'by the wedges. The rib'27 and seats 28 are pref-- 1 erably formed by indenting the metal of the rim base without thickening the same, so

shown in Figs. 1 to 5. The wedges 2611111? no that the rim base may be stamped cold from I invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive.

It will be seen that the wedges 26 engaging the concave surfaces 28 will force-the rim laterally upon the folly band, and thus cause the rib 27 to seat firmly upon thebcveled surface The Wedges26 will directly support the other side of the rim from the telly hand, a suflicient number ofwedges being used to give the rim adequate support to prevent the undue distortion of the same.v

Owing to the lateral and circumferential curvature of the surfaces 28 and to the cor responding curvature'of the Wedge surfaces,

- the wedges Willlock the rim against circumof the telly hand.

ferential movement or creeping with relation to the Wheel.

In 10, 11 and 12 l have shown another modification of my invention, in wh ch the telly l: 31 has at 'one edge a downwardly beveled annular-bearing surface 32, and at the other edge an upturnedllangze 33 notched at intervals, as indicated at 34. .The rim base 35 of the tire-carrying rim has formed on its under-surface a plurality of projections or rib sections 36 corresponding in length and location to the notches 3 formed in the flange of the telly band.

These projections are preferably stamped in the rim base without thickening the metal thereof, and their under-surfaces 37 are slightly beveled so as to constitute inclined bearing surfaces adapted to engage With the bottoms of the notches ill in the flange 33 Near the other side the rim base hasstamped from ita plurality of projections 38, these projections having bereled lower surfaces 39 adapted to engage the beveled seat 32 on the telly band. The projections :38 are arranged in pairs, the adj accnt ends 40 oi each pair being inclined toward each other. as shown in Fig. 11. in order to secure the rim upon the wheel a plurality of Wedges all are used. these wedges having lower surfaces adapted to fit the beveled bearing surface 32 of the telly hand and upper surfaces adapted to slide beneath the under-surface of the rim base 35." The side Walls 49. of the Wedges converge and are adapted to lit the space between two of the adjacentprojections 38. lhe edges maybe secured to the Wheel felly in any suitable way. as by being mounted upon nuts 17 carried by bolts 18 of the construction already described. The screwing in of the Wedges ll causes their inclined faces 4% to engage the inclined ends 40 oi the lugs 38, and thus force the rim laterally upon the telly band, causing the inclined faces 37 of the projections 36 and the inclined faces 39 of the projections 38 to wedge upon the corresponding bearing surfaces at'the sides of the telly band. The engagement of the Wedges with the projections 38 also serves to lock the rim against creeping or circumferential movement rela' tive'to the wheel. The projections 36 entering tlm notches 34 in the flange 38 also serve to prevent creeping of the rim. It will be iinderstood that While both of these means to prevent creeping maybe used, both are not essential, and the wedges engaging the lugs 38 alone may be relied upon and also that the projections 36 and notchesfi may be used with other forms of Wedgesnot adapted to prevent creeping movement, for example, with the wedges now commonly in use, which are inserted between a plain folly band and an ordinary clencher rim.

Referring now to Figs. 13 to 1?, inclusive,

I have shown in these figures another endification of my invention in which H rim base 43, transversely split at carrying t endless tire-retaining 45, is

provided near one side With the inwardly projecting rib 6 having a beveled face adapted to seat upon the raised beveled bearing surface 4? carried by the telly hand i8. The other side of the rim base is supw ported by a plurality of Wedges or looking members 49, portions of which, 50, enter between the telly band and the under surface of the rim base. The locking members 49 also have hooked flanges 51 which fit in notches 52 formed in the edge of. the rim base. The rim base is lireferably provided with inwardly hooked side flanges 53 which engage the wedge-shaped base portions 54 of the endless tireretaining flanges 45., and where one of these flanges is cut away to form a notch the hooked fiangeol of the corresponding member slll'will engage the base 54 of the flange at that point and draws the same and the rim base toward the telly hand. lhe end Walls of the notch 52 are'also beveled, so that when engaged by the correspondingly beveled ends of'ffne hooked portions :31 of the locking members ill, the locking members will exert a Wedgiug action upon the rim base, and thus serve to draw the rim base toward the center of the wheel until it sea-ts solidly upon the portions of th locking members. The looking members 49 may be secured to the wheel telly in any suitable manner, for examp e, they may screw upon the externally and int'ernally threaded nuts 17 which are carried by the bolts 18 of the construction already described. When the locking members 49. are screwed up they force the rim laterally upon the telly band and thus cause the bevsled face of the rib 46 to Wedge upon the beveled bearing surface 47. The locking its membem alsodraw m" upon the: portions 50, and" also look therim against circumferential movement-upon the wheel. locking members fthus positively to .lockmr anchor theuiin to the 7 wheel at a plurality- 0f Spaced points, ing the rini', against lateral,"'ciroumferential and radially outward zmovement. They-- also enable the rim t -supportany' load t'o which it may be. subjectedbetween'adjacenfi locking devices, assuch"=lockiiig.devices actf as abutments to an arch of which the loaded portion of the rim is the span; ar' action of the rim preventing it from being distorted. The portions 50' ofthe members are preferably. rounded oif jat'f'one; corner, as indicated at 56, in order'to per mit the locking members'to be rotated to" inoperative position when withdrawn sufliciently for the extremities of the portions to clear the edgeofthe 'fellyb'and.

In Figs. 18, 19 and 20 1:11 another modification *of' my' invention -inwhich the tires carrying rim an endless rim base 57 having one endless tireretai'ning flange 58 and one'transversely' split tire-retaining flange 59, the ends of which may be secured together in any suit able ifiianner, as by means of the locking de-' vice shown in the patent to Bryant, No. 912,537 of February .16, 1909. The split flange 59 seats in a, channel-60 formed at oneside of the rim base, the outer wall v.61 of the channel. being notched at a plurafity of points, as indicated at '62 in Fig. 20, the" walls of the notches diverging upward and outward, as shown' in that figure. The rim base is also provided with a rib 63 having a beveled surface which seats upon a beveled bearing surface 64% formed at one edge of the felly band 6-5. vThe inner wall 66 of the channel 60 is inclined and itsouter surface forms a beveled bearing surface which engages with the beveled bearing surface 67 formed at the edge of the felly hand. For securing the rim to thefelly band, I

use'a plurality of locking members 68, suitable means being provided for bolting these members to the wheel felly. t For example, slain bolts and nuts may be used for this. purpose, or the body portions of the locking members may have internally threaded openings 'therethrough andmav screw upon internally and externally threaded nuts 17 carried by bolts 18 of-the'form already de scribed. The members 6 8.have flanges 69 which fittthe notches 62 inthe flanges 61. of the rim base, the end walls 70 of the'flanges 69 being beveled to correspond with the end walls of the notches 62. When the locking memberslfifiare forced laterally, the flanges I G9 enteri-t'henotches 62 and force the rim 'l'aterally upon' the felly band so as to bring the beveled faces on the rim in engagement with the beveled bearing surfaces on the fix -am ,vuig bearings surfacesiefdifi I arcnmferential "or t f niovegnentffibom theqi'felly -To desiring a o ithe mare combination, a

V y certam 'preferred-a, m ifi enfs of; -my" invention, i but- Zwithout 'tniyselftojthe detailstherep ofanytfijtheii-thn asispecified in so'me of c f specific hereunto appendedfr ferent'dianieters. Marthe-"edges thereof; a'

tire-ca rimhaving bearing surfaces of different diameters" adapted to engage the bearing surfacesfof the rim, the bear ing surface 0f smaller. diameter. being formed upon an inwardly rejecting portion a of said'rim, saidinwardl ,tion being recessed, and a wedge carried by "the wheel and adapted to be'forced laterally into said recess and the fixed? rim and tire-carryingrim'.;

2. Ina vehiclewlieeLf-ih y projecting porg combination, a.

felly, a folly. band'thereon a raised 1 beveled bearing surface at oneed'ge thereof, a tire-carrying rim mountedupon-said felly- ,band and having near one side thereof a a I beveled bearing surface en aging the beveled 1 bearing surfaceofsaidfe y band,and hav- 1- ing near the other sidejthereoia lurality of concave beveled seats ands. plura ing wedges laterally, wi h relation thereto; said. wedges having convex beveled bearing surfaces adapted to engage and interlock with'the concave beveledbea i I pflo'ckcuredto the tell an jmovable.

'whereb said wedges Wlll hold said-rim upon ferential movement.-

. 3. In a vehicle-wheeL-rim, in'combination, a folly, a felly bandthereon having a raised beveled-bearing surface at one edge thereof, a tire carrying 1lfl1 mounted on said felly bandand having inwardly Projecting ribs near each sidether'eof, one c said ribs having a beveled bearing surface engaging the raised beveled bearing surface on said felly band,-and the other rib extending into contact with the other side of said felly band,

saidsecond rib being cut out atintervals' to form beveled concave bearing surfaces, bolts passing transversely through said felly and locking wedges carried by said bolts,

said locking wedges have surfaces sup- 7 130 portcd upon said telly band and having said. fe Iyfband against lateral and 'circ'um v v in b ,a'ifid the thaii said ingfsurface engaging the second beveled incense beveled convex \vedging surfaces engaging the concave bearing surfaces'of said rim.

a vehicle wheel, in combination, a fellv, a folly band thereon having a raised be d bearing surface-at one edge thereof, beveled bearingsurface of smaller r at-the other edge thereof, a tire- ,ci ry 4. g rim mounted L pon said felly band and having inwardly projectinglribs near each side thereof, one of said ribs having a bef'cled bearing surface engaging the raised e sled bearing ace of said folly band, being of greater depth st rib and having a beveled bearbearing surface of said felly band, said rib having recesses fofmed therein at intervals, the walls of; said recesses being concave and beveled inn direction opposite to the bevel .of the Klein bearingsurface of said rim, bolts projecting laterally from the side of said folly, and Wedges carried by saidbolts, said wedges having surfaces engaging the surface of said felly band and having convex n edging surfaces engaging the concave bearin'g surfaces of the flange of said tire-carry- Z ng rim, said wedges, when withdrawn from engagement with the concave bearing surfaces of said rim, being rotatable about said bolts to inoperative position.

5. in combination with a vehicle wheel having a bearing surface on its periphery, a tire-carrying rim, and means for distorting said rim to cause the same to grip the hearing surface of said Wheel at intervals, said means comprising bolts projecting laterally from the wheel felly, and wedges mounted on said bolts, said wedges entering between the wheel periphery and the rim at separated points and lifting the rim out of contact with the bearingsurface of the wheel a'ujacent to said points.

6. In a vehicle wheel, in combination, a fixed rim having a raised bearing surface at one edge thereof, a tire-carrying rim having a bearing surface near one side thereof engaging the raised bearing 'surfaceon said surface on the fixed rim at intervals, and

drawing said bearing surfaces into contact between adjacent wedges.

7. In a vehicle wheel, in combination, a fixed rim having a raised beveled bearing surface at one edge thereof, and having a second bearing surface at the other edge thereof of less diameter than said beveled bearing surface, a tire-carrying rim having a bearing surface near one side thereof engaging the raised beveled bearing surface on said fixed rim, said tire-carrying rim having near the other side thereof an inwardly projecting portion having a second bearing surface thereon adapted to engage the bearing surface of said fixed rim of smaller diameter, said projecting portion having recesses formed therein at intervals, and laterally movable wedges carried by the Wheel adapted to be inserted in said recesses and to be wedged between the Walls thereof and the 'l'iearing surface of smaller diameter of said fixed rim, said Wedges lifting the second bearing surface of said tire-carrying rim out of contact with its complementary bearing surface on the fixed rim at intervals and drawing said bearing surfaces into contact between adjacent Wedges, said Wedges also locking said tire-carrying rim against circumferential movement on the fixed rim.

JAMES H. WAGENHORST.

Witnesses:

B. T. HADLEY,

n70. WOLF. 

